Man killed in gunfire with Clay County deputies

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A man died Saturday night after gunfire involving Clay County deputies, authorities said.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to an apartment complex on Burwick Avenue off Blanding Boulevard at around 10:50 p.m. after several calls about gunshots fired.

About five minutes later, according to the sheriff’s office, deputies arrived and met an armed man who then started shooting at them. The deputies fired back and beat the man, the sheriff’s office said.

A woman, who did not want to be identified, told News4Jax that she and her boyfriend were watching TV when they heard the first shots, not far from their unit.

“The gunshots, I counted seven,” she said. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute?’ I kind of realized what it was. ”

A moment later, the woman said, they heard more.

“They stopped a little bit,” she recalled. “I went to the toilet and then I heard the vibration and called, ‘They started firing again?’ And then said, “Yes, they started to shoot back and forth, back and forth.” ”

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The man was taken to Orange Park Medical Center, where he died around 11:30 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators said his identity will not be released until contacting his family.

According to the sheriff’s office, this was the first shooting involving each of the three deputy sheriffs involved. The deputies, who have law enforcement experience ranging from three to six years, were not injured.

“We appreciate the continued support of our community and I ask that we keep in your thoughts and prayers all persons involved in tonight’s incident,” Sheriff Michelle Cook.

The woman News4Jax spoke to said she is grateful that she and her boyfriend are safe.

“I moved to Clay because for some reason I feel safer in Clay County. I don’t know if that’s just a mindset I have, ”she said. “So seeing this kind of thing so close to home is sad, you know?”

At the request of the Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement responded to the investigation.

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